The Iron Horse (1924)

In the heartland of Springfield, Illinois, a visionary surveyor, Brandon, is fueled by an audacious dream: the construction of the first-ever transcontinental railroad. His friend and small-scale constructor, Thomas Marsh, dismisses his ambitions as fanciful, even as their children, Davy Brandon and Miriam Marsh, form an enduring bond amidst their fathers' contrasting beliefs. Undeterred by skepticism, Brandon, accompanied by young Davy, embarks on a journey westward to locate a viable pass for the railroad. Tragedy strikes when a band of Cheyenne warriors, led by a two-fingered white renegade, ambush the pair, brutally killing and scalping Brandon. The traumatized Davy, the sole witness to his father's brutal death, commits the two-fingered traitor's image to memory. Years later, in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln greenlights the construction of two monumental railroads: the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific. The responsibility of the Union Pacific's construction falls on the now-respected Thomas Marsh, whose daughter, Miriam, is betrothed to Jesson, the project's chief engineer. The construction faces numerous roadblocks, from workforce strikes to financial shortfalls. When Marsh faces the pressing need to find a shortcut through the Black Hills, the powerful landowner Bauman interferes, bribing Jesson to maintain the original route through his lands. However, hope arrives in the form of Davy, now a seasoned pony express rider, who brings forth his father's discovery of a pass through the Black Hills – a revelation that could save the project. Davy and Jesson embark on a mission to verify the pass, but Bauman's influence prompts Jesson to attempt to murder Davy. When Davy survives the treachery and exposes Jesson's deceit, tensions rise. In an act of desperation, Bauman enlists the two-fingered renegade to provoke the Cheyenne against the railroad workers, forcing Davy to confront his father's killer. "The Iron Horse" is a captivating tale of ambition, betrayal, and revenge, culminating in a historic moment on May 10, 1869, when the locomotives of the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific intersect, marking the completion of a dream forged in blood and iron.

The Iron Horse is a western movie featuring George O’Brien.

The Iron Horse is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy, Public Domain Movies and Tubi TV.

It is also possible to buy The Iron Horse on Amazon Video or rent it on Pantaflix.